Method of reproducing impressions in a definite relation to one another



Patented Dec. 31, 1940 PATENT or-rice 2,226,987 METHOD OF REPRODUCINGIMPRESSIONS.

IN A DEFINETE OTHER RELATION TO ONE AN- William I). Wiegand, Towson, Md.

Application October 7,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of reproducing impressions in adefinite relation to one another.

. i In the language of a craftsman in the art of 5 photo-engraving-Thisis a method for making a copy to be reproduced and duplicated cheaply;to take the place (in some cases) of a step and repeat photo lith,printing frames and cameras. The object is to make one set of plates, inblack or any number of colors, have them etched about two bites,punctured in predetermined points of register and placed on a slabcontaining projection orindentations or any other method of holdingthe'plate or copy in the exact position. I prefer raised projectionsthree-sixteenths of an inch in diameter and raised one-sixteenth of aninch above the surface. The slab is placed on a fiat bed press,preferably the kind used by photo-engravers as a proving press. A sheetof heavy proving paper is locked in place on the cylinder of the press.The four corners may be held in place by some adhesive. The prover canpull his first impression in line of the various colors on the paperonthe cylinder. He then lifts his plate or plates to No. 2 position andrepeats the operation so as to duplicate as many times as is necessary.When this is completed you have a copy containing multiple duplicates ofthe original which when reproduced will register accurately. The samedevice when used on a copy-board of a camera will employ the exactmethod previously described, except in place of printing plates a set ofproofs or drawings will be used and changed from one position to anotherby the photographer.

In order that laymen may also understand the invention, the followingdescription and explanation may be advantageous:

One object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple,comparatively inexpensive and thoroughly practical method and means forproducing duplicates or facsimiles of an impression, drawing, or othervisible object and disposing said duplicates or facsimiles in a straightrow and in'contiguity or actual contact with one another upon a singlesheet or plate, so that any given point on any one of the impressions isvery accurately spaced with relation to similar points on the otherimpressions, and so the spacing between any two of said points ofadjacent impressions is equal to the spacing between any other two ofsaid points of adjacent impressions.

A further object is to provide, as an extension of the method referredto in the foregoing, an

1937, Serial No. 167,743

effective arrangement and procedure for producing at each step aplurality of complemental impressions such as those from which platesare produced for multicolor printing.

It is known to the inventor that complex and 5 very expensive machineshave been in use for simultaneously printing a row 'of duplicate orfacsimile impressions on a sheet in accurate and equally spaced relationwith respect to similar points thereon, and that after such printing is'10 accomplished, the sheet is cut into pieces each having one of saidimpressions thereon; but instead of the present invention making theimpressions for final printing on articles of commerce or advertising,its purpose is to quickly and T economically prepare the set-up fromwhich multi-printing plates are produced to be used on such printingmachines.

To facilitate a clearer explanation of the method and to disclosepractical andaeconomical means for effecting the method, referenceismade to the accompanying drawing inwhich- Fig. 1 is a perspective viewshowing one embodiment of the mechanical means that assist the method. l1 l Fig. 2 is a fragmental detail View showing a modification of theplate or slab, as to the shape of the localizing elements. I

Fig. 3 is a second modification.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of image-plate. i

Referring to this drawing specifically, the base 5 is a slab or plate ofmetal or other appropriate material which will not shrink or otherwisechange its shape or dimensions beyond ordinary expansion and contractionand which is plane on its upper surface with theexception of raisedelements 6 which are united therewith and constitute localizingelements. They are arranged in straight rows in precise equidistantrelation 4 to oneanother, one of such rows appearing at the top of Fig.1, and a second one appearing just above the broken line a-b. The partof the base 5 above the line ab may be considered separately as a simpleform of the invention, its two rows of localizing elements 6 beingcomplemental to one another in connection with the upper section B ofthe image-plate 1.

Now consider the section B as if it were detached from sections G, R andY, and note that it has apertures or-recesses which are dimen- J sionedand spaced for exactly fitting over any pair of complemental localizingstuds or elements in the upper set (or in any other set illustrated) butit is also necessary to consider this section B as showing a completeimage such as is to be reproduced for the final printed products; next,assume that the base 5 is locked or localized on the bed of a printingpress, and that a print-receiving sheet is also localized on the platenor cylinder of the printing press; then assume that the printing pressis operated through one cycle or revolution of the cylinder, and it willbe seen that the section B will have made an impression or printedcounterpart of the image (on the section B) upon the localizedprint-receiving sheet, thus having completed the first step of themethod. The second step of the method begins with the removal of thesection B from the position shown, and placing it in engagement with thenext adjacent pair of localizing elements 6, then causing the printingmachine to-ope'rate through a second cycle so as to cause the section Bto print a counterpart thereof upon the printreceiving sheet inedge-to-edge contact with the first counterpart, but not overlapping orinterlapping with the previously printed impression. For the third andsubsequent steps of the method, the procedure is repeated as describedfor the second step, the plate or section B being moved to thenextadjacent pair of complemental localizing studs or elements 6 after eachcounterpart impression has been made on the print-receiving sheet. Thenumber of impressions may be varied according to the size of therespective images to be duplicated, and. according to the capacity ofthe printingpress used for preparing such set-up, or "according to thewishes and purposes of the person performing the method.

The method thus far described is applicable to photography as well as toprinting; for the principle is the same, viz., taking a series ofimpressions step by step from a single negative or image which has itsposition changed with respect to the receiving sheet or film after eachcycle.

Now, considering the whole of base 5 as one unit, and thewhole of theimage-plate I as a second unit, it will be seen that all the localizingunits may be employed, or all of them may be eliminated except the upperand lower rows or any two rows that are sufiiciently spaced apart as arethe two upper rows; but for thus considering the device, it is essentialthat the sections B, G, R and Y be joined in a second unit of thedevice. The letter B stands for black; G,

for green; R, for red; and Y, for yellow; I these colors beingarbitrary, since any combination of colors may be used, or any number ofdifferent colors or shades; but it should also be understood that suchdifferent colors do not actually appear upon these sections of the imageplate I which is a preliminary or preparatory setup of the complementalfeatures to be reproduced and duplicated on the impression-receivingsheet, which latter will constitute the copy from which the plates willbe made for the final, reproduction of the complete image or picture byuse of different colored inks on the complemental plates as in the usualprocedure of multi-color printing. Therefore, the division-lines 9 haveno significance other than to indicate where the final counterparts ofthese sections are to be out apart so each section can housed in itsturn upon the final printings. Neither have the vertical lines ii] anysignificance except to show that the images reproduced from theimage-plate l are adjoining one another or directly against one anotherso that when the final reproduction from the whole set-up is made, thesheet that contains such final reproduction will be moved step by stepthrough a cutting machine which is adjusted for cutting the sheet alonginvisible lines that correspond to these lines In as to their spacingfrom one another.

Any pair of complemental localizers 6 may be considered as a localizingdevice, and may be claimed accordingly.

In Figs. 2 and 3, the localizing elements are shown at 6a and 6b,respectively; and in Fig. 4 is shown a perspective view of a section Bisuch as would fit the localizing elements of Fig. 2.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the invention is not limited tothe exact details of construction and procedure as has been shown anddescribed, for the same is subject to various modifications within theinventive ideas as implied and claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of making a set-up of facsimil printed images in mutualun-interlapped edge-toedge contact on a printing press, consisting inseating an image-plate and an im'pressiomreceiving element in theircorrelated positions on the printing press for producing a printed imageon said impression-receiving element, causing the printing press toproduce an image of said imageplate on said impression-receivingelement, moving said image-plate to such position on the printing pressthat an'edge of the image-plate is in unlapped edge-to-edge contact withthe seat from which the image-plate was moved, and cansing the printingpress to produce a second impression or printed image of the image-plateon the impression-receiving element in unlapp d edge-to-edge contactwith the printed image first produced, substantially as described.

2. The method defined by claim 1, and the further steps of repeating thethird and fourth steps of claim 1 as often as desirable to produce thedesired number of printed images within the limits of theimpression-receiving element in its original seat on the printing press.7

3. In a device for use in efiecting a set-up of a row of facsimileprinted images in mutual edgeto-edge contact, the combination of animageplate of predetermined width, and a base comprising a number ofimage-plate-seats and having thereon a row of localizing elements in therespective image-plate-seats, said localizing elements having theircenters equidistantly spaced from one another, the spacing thereof beingequal to said predetermined width of said image-plate,

said image-plate being provided with means for lapped edge-to-edgecontact with one another and separated only by visible lines at theiradjoining edges, each of said sections being complemental to each otherof said sections in the respect that they can be used in producingprinting plates for use successively in producing a multi-color print.

WILLIAM D. WIEGAND.

